Anne Croteau has joined McGuireWoods’ private equity industry team as a partner in Raleigh, North Carolina, enhancing the firm’s market-leading capabilities advising Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), Business Development Companies (BDCs) and other investment funds.

Croteau is among a select group of elite U.S. lawyers with significant experience representing SBICs — private equity funds licensed and regulated by the U.S. Small Business Administration that provide small businesses with critical growth and operating capital — and BDCs, publicly traded private equity funds focused on debt financings.

Croteau advises funds, companies and investors in financings, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and handles public and private securities offerings, joint ventures, strategic alliances and other complex commercial transactions. She also represents lenders in first lien, unitranche, second lien and mezzanine credit facilities, and equity co-investments and kickers, and advises on intercreditor relationships, capital structures and complex restructurings.

Among Croteau’s numerous honors, Chambers and Partners recognized her in its annual guide, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. She graduated from Harvard Law School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Duke University. She joins McGuireWoods from Smith Anderson.

“Anne expands our team’s reach and experience in debt and equity financings and her work with SBICs makes one of the country’s top PE practices even stronger, to the benefit of our clients,” said Geoffrey Cockrell, head of the firm’s private equity industry team.

Mark Anderson, managing partner of McGuireWoods’ Raleigh office, said Croteau expands the firm’s client service capabilities in the Research Triangle region, one of the nation’s hottest hubs for startup companies outside Silicon Valley.

“Anne has a stellar reputation for her work advising clients throughout the country and North Carolina in private equity and other financing deals,” Anderson said.

“McGuireWoods is a perfect fit for me and my clients, providing a broad platform delivering coordinated, cross-practice services to investment fund clients at all stages of development, with some of the most experienced and capable middle-market private equity lawyers in the United States,” Croteau said.